Lyminge Anglo-Saxon Cemetery - Grave 1
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Lyminge Cemetery Introduction
GRAVE 1. A well-built man; 5 ft. 10 in.; 50 years
of age; skeleton in good condition; well marked evidence of widespread
osteo-arthritis; supine, full length, arms straight, head pillowed;
101 deg. 1ft. 10 in. deep
Finds. An iron shield-boss (Fig. 3, No. 4) by
the left elbow. The shield had been inserted vertically into the
grave. The boss and its accompanying grip (Fig. 3, No. 3) were
found by workmen.
An iron spearhead (Fig. 3 No. 1) at
the left hand side of the skull. The split socket of the spearhead was
fragmentary. An iron ferrule by the left ankle. Distance, in
the grave, from the tip of the spearhead to the tip of the ferrule, 5
ft. 4 in.
A silver buckle and a bronze-gilt rectangular attachment-plate
(Pl. IX, No. 1) at the left waist, tongue pointing right.
The attachment-plate is decorated around its edges by a row of "V"s;
a flange, 1/12 in. high. encloses an area decorated in chip-carving
technique. This decoration includes two animals in Style 1 grouped at
right angles around a centrally-set rectangular piece of blue glass.
The belt was joined to the buckle by being doubled around the stem of
the buckle and its end was then clamped between the attachment-plate
and a bronze back-plate by 4 bronze rivets. The size of these
indicates that the gap between the two plates, which accommodated a
double thickness of leather, was 3/16 in.
bronze-gilt rectangular attachment-plate
An iron axe-head (Fig. 3 No. 2) standing
vertically, blade downwards, by the left wrist. The axe-head is in
poor condition and the drawing is based upon a field sketch of the
axe-head in situ.
A fragment of leather was found beneath the
attachment-plate1.
An iron knife, a pair of bronze tweezers (Fig. 6, No. 4)
and a very worn Roman bronze coin 2
of Constantine I at the right fore-arm.
A bronze bodkin (Fig. 5, No. 4) at the left hand side of
the skull.
The fragmentary remains of two small riveted bronze
plates by the right hand side of the skull and at the neck. Their
purpose is unknown.